As the first state school built in Wellington in over 25 years, Amesbury School represents a large shift in the way people think about education and the environment.

The school is modern in every respect, creating a vision for the next 50 years rather than reflecting the traditional structured learning of the last 50. Classrooms are open plan, with work areas created using sliding glass walls. Access to natural light and vistas has been prioritised throughout the single-level design.

The school was designed and built to a 5 Star Green Certified Rating to reduce energy use. Energy consumption is monitored and managed by a simple building management system that also acts as an education tool.

The school hall build was expanded to provide a community facility, a joint initiative of the Ministry of Education and Wellington City Council (WCC), that was partly funded by WCC.

Maycroft Construction was awarded the project in April 2010 as head of a consortium under the Ministry of Education’s Single Line of Accountability Model. In October, the design and a guaranteed maximum price was agreed upon in preparation for construction to begin on a staged building consent process in January 2011.

We enjoyed the challenge of designing and value engineering the project to meet the Green Star and learning philosophy requirements, all the while working within the limitations of a difficult build location and limited budget.

We’re proud of the end result and see the school as an asset to the Churton Park community. To show our appreciation, and the value we see in this school, the Maycroft Consortium donated a piece of artwork by well-known New Zealand artist Jeff Thompson. The piece, a rendering of New Zealand, takes pride of place in Amesbury School’s entranceway.